Percy a



PATBNTED JAN.'19, 1904.

P. A. VAILE.

TOY GOLF PLAYER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented January 19, 1904.

PERCY A. VAILE, or AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND.

TOY GOLF-PLAYER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 750,134, dated January 19, 1904.

Application filed April 24, 1903- Serial No. 154,126. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PERCY A. VAILE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Auckland, New Zealand, have invented a new and Improved Toy Golf-Player, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a toy golf-player adapted for use in playing an indoor game of golf, said article being supplied as a part of a game apparatus or plant including other elements necessary to complete the equipment, although the figure may be used for ornamental purposes only or for any other purpose desired.

One object of the invention is to produce a toy figure in which the parts normally take the position assumed by a playerin addressing a golf-ball, a part of the figure being capable of movement in a correct or true manner to strike the ball by a miniature golf-club in the hands of the figure.

A further object is to construct the figurein such a way that the head will remain in position during the swing of a part of the body in one direction; but when the body moves in an opposite direction, as in the act of striking or driving the ball, the head follows the movement of the body, so that it would appear as if the eyes were following the flight of a ball.

Further objects and advantages of the inventionwill appear in the course of the subjoined description, and the novelty will be defined by the annexed claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective View, partly in section, of a toy figure constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a similar transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig; 1 looking in the direction of the arrow,

I and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view showing one embodiment of means for fastening a miniature golf-club in the hands of the toy figure.

The figure A represents a golf-player in the bent attitude assumed by a human being when addressing a golf-ball preliminary to driving or striking the latter, and this figure is or may be clothed with miniature garments similar to those worn by players when participating in the game. Of course the figure may be made of any suitable 'material and size, and, as shown, it consists of a body B, legs 0, a head D, and arms E. r

The body B is shown as divided or cut in half to produce two sections 6 b, which are connected pivotally by a screw, pin, or bolt 5 in away to permit the member Z) to be ca' .pable of a transverse swing ng movement with relation to the member I) and the legs (J. As shown, the members of the body are hollow, and they areprovided with parallel cross bars or rails 6 7, adapted to receive the pivot pin or bolt 5, and thereby operatively connect the two parts in proper relation one to the other. The member 6 of the body B is shown as having a removable portion 8 adapted to permit access to be obtained to the inside of the body, and this member 5 may be made in one piece with the leg portions C of the figure. The other member, I), of the body is or may be in one piece with the arms E, and one or both of these arms are weighted, as at 9, for the purpose of normally maintaining the member I) in the bent attitude. The member 5 of said body is shown as having a plate 10 adjacent to the neck, and to this plate of the body member I) is pivotally connected the head D of the figure.

Any approved devices may be used to pivotally connect the head to the body member I); but, as shown, I employ a screw 11, which is fixed to a plate 12 of the head D and is fit ted in the plate 10 of the body member 5. The head D is thus mountedon the body by a pivot the axis of which is parallel to the axis of the pivotal bolt or pin 5 between the two parts 6 b of the body, and this head D is capable of a limited oscillation on the axis afforded by the pivot 11 independently of the transverse swinging movement of the body IOO ranged that the stud 1 1 may move with the body member 7) fora limited distance without affecting the axial relation of the head 1) to the body member 6; but when the body moves in an opposite direction the head is adapted to travel or move therewith by the stud 14: engaging with an end portion of the slot 18.

The body member 6 of the figure is normally maintained by the gravity of the weighted portions 9 of the arms E in the position shown by Fig. l, and this body portion may be swung laterally on the axis aiforded by the pivot 5 in order to make the body of the figure swing in a direction similar to the move ment of the human body in the act of striking a golf-ball with a club. Said member 6 moves without restraint in one direction; but when released to swing in an opposite direction this body member 7) may have its motion accelerated by the employment of any suitable form of retractor, one type of which is shown more clearly by Figs. 1 and 2. The member 6 is provided with a stud 15, while one of the legs C of the figure is shown as having a spring 16, the latter being fastened to a short post 17 and having its free end portion disposed in the path of the stud 15. When the body member 6 is swung in one direction, the stud 15 moves therewith until it strikes against the spring 16, thus placing the latter under tension, and when this body member 5 is released the spring 16 cooperates with the weighted arms E in giving a quick return movement to the body member 5.

Suitable means may be provided for imparting this movement manually to the body 7) without grasping the figure directly by the hand, and one means for attaining this end consists of a draw-cord 18, which passes through a suitable opening 19 in the heel portion of one of the legs C, said draw-string passing upwardly through the leg over a suitable guide 20 and attached to the pin or stud 15. The cord 18 extends through one of the legs and a portion of the body, and the free end of the cord extends rearwardly from the figure, so that it may be attached to a suitable object, such as a caddy or the golf-bag, as at 21, which may be provided on the base 22 of the figure. This bag is adapted to contain a number of miniature golf-clubs 23, either one of which may be fitted in the hands 6 of the figure.

In Fig. 1 of the drawings the hand 6 is shown as having a socket 24, adapted to receive the grip portion of either of the golfclubs 23, said club having a recess 25, adapted to receive a locking bolt or latch 26, the latter being slidable in a suitable opening 27, which contains a casing 28 for a coiled spring 29. The recess 25 in the grip portion of the golf-club should occupy such position that the club may have its head presented to the golfball F in a position to properly strike the same, and this recess is adapted to receive the locking-bolt which holds the club in place in the socketed hand against any tendency to flying out of the hands when the figure is returned by an accelerated motion to its normal position under the gravity of the arms E and the impulse given to the figure by the spring 16.

As hereinbefore indicated, one or more of the toy figures A should be supplied with other parts comprising a game apparatus designed to afford indoor amusement in playing the game of golf, and the players participating in the game should use the figure and the proper kind of clubs in driving the golf-ball as in playing the outdoor game. To use the figure, it is placed in a position to face in the proper direction and to present the head of the club 23 close to the ball F. The member 6 of the body is moved laterally either by hand or by pulling on the cord 18, and during this movement the pins 1 1 15 and the slotted plate 10 move with the body, the lastnamed pin engaging with the spring 16. When the body is released, the weight of the arms E and the action of the spring 16 return the body member I) in an opposite direction and with suflieient force to make the miniature club 23 strike the ball F to drive it the desired distance. The head 1) remains undisturbed by the lateral movement of the body 6 until it passes to a point where the pin 14: will engage one end of the slot 13 of the head D, whereupon the head will move with the body, and it will have the same appearance as if the eyes of the figure were following the flight of the ball.

It is evident that the club 23 may be easily withdrawn and another style of club, selected from the bag 21, may be adjusted in the socket 2 1 of the hand a. The stick of the club must be turned for the recess 25 to take a position wherein the latch-bolt 26 will enter said recess, and this makes the head of the club take the proper position for addressing the ball or striking said ball.

Any suitable means may be employed to determine the position of the club in the hands and to lock said club in its adjusted position, thus preventing the club from flying out of the hands of the figure when the latter is moved to strike the ball.

Changes in the form, size, and proportions of the parts and in the details of construction may be made by a skilled mechanic within the scope of the annexed claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A toy figure of the class described, having a sectional body, the members of which are pivoted together, a head portion connected pivotally with one member of the body the axes of movement of the movable body portion and the head portion being inparallel planes, and means whereby the body may move in one direction without changing the position of the head portion, the latter being capable of movement with a body member when moving in an opposite direction.

2. A toy figure having a divided body the members of which are pivoted together, one of said members being normally held by gravity in a given position, and a club having a detachable interlocking engagement with a portion of said movable body member.

3. A toy figure of the class described, having a divided body, the members of which are pivoted together, one member of said body occupying a normal position by gravity, a stud carried by one body member, and a spring on the other body member, normally free from the stud and in the path of said stud, said movable body member being shiftable to make the stud displace the spring, the reaction of which spring accelerates the swing of the movable body member in one direction.

4. A toy figure having a laterally-swinging body member mounted to turn on a horizontal axis and provided with a slotted neck portion, a head portion connected to said body portion to turn on a horizontal axis which is parallel to that of the body portion, and a stud on the head portion arranged to play in the slot ofthe body portion.

weighted arms, one of the hands of the figure having a socket, a club fitted in said socket, and means for determining the position of the club and for locking the latter detachably in said socket.

6. A toy figure of the class described, having a divided body the members of which are pivoted together, one member of said body being movable and held by gravity in a normal position, a spring in the path of a part of said movable body portion for accelerating the movement thereof in one direction, ahead portion connected pivotally to said movable body portion and movable in one direction therewith, and an operating-cord connected with said movable body member for positively moving the same in a direction which places the spring under tension.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PERCY A. VAILE.

Witnesses:

J NO. M. BITTER, H. F. BERNHARD. 

